There's a ratio of 100:1 for articles on the bj-league that appear in The Japan Times vs. the Daily Yomiuri.

Those are the facts.

And yet there are PR directors around the league who fail to recognize that any publicity is good publicity for a league that's starving to gain greater popularity, more sponsors and fans and, of course, more money.

Reporters and columnists have a job to do, and it often involves commentary that isn't glowing or praising everything about everybody. This is pro sports, not a flower show.Emails have been sent to me complaining of "destructive criticism" and similar things by a certain PR director who'll remain nameless today.

But when his team appears in 10 or 20 other stories that were very positive about his team's players, did he ever issue a thank you? No.

Other PR directors have stooped so low as to ask the league office to underline passages in a story they claim contained lies by a then-fired coach. I spoke to the coach. What he said was what I reported. All of it was true.

This league is now in its seventh season, but there remain certain elements at play here -- childish acts, immaturity, a refusal by some to treat the media as professionals -- that are destroying any momentum the league makes by adding new teams to new markets.

Instead of finding ways to get more media involved in the sport's coverage, this league often tears down those who do the most to raise its profile. And that's a true disgrace.